Hat with replaceable sweatband



Sept. 27, 1949. G. c. NELMS 2,483,101

7 v HAT WITH REPLACEABLE SWEATBAND Filed Nov. 14, 1947' 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

A M HTTOR/VEYS.

5. 2. NELMS HAT WITH REPLACEABLE SWEATBAND Fild Nov. '14, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

M a 7' TOR/V6 rs.

Patented Sept. 27 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments, to Mine Safety Appliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 14, 1947, Serial No. 785,851

Claims.

This invention relates to hats, and more particularly to hats provided with replaceable sweatbands.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a hat with a sweatband that can be replaced quickly and easily by the wearer, and that is held in the hat without the use of laces, snaps, or similar fastening members.

In accordance with this invention the headencircling portion orside wall of a hat is provided interiorly with a liner band that has a wide portion attached at its upper edge to the wall and a narrow portion extending from the lower edge of the wide portion part way up its outer surface. These two portions may be made from a single strip of suitable material, but it is preferred that they be separate strips connected together and that the outer one be rather stiii'. Extending around the inside of the liner band is the headengaging portion of a removable sweatband. The sweatband also has a locking portion extending from the lower edge of its head-engaging .portion up between the side wall of the hat and the liner band, and then down between the wide and narrow portions of the liner band so that the two bands will be interlocked. Although the sweatband, too, may be made from a single strip of suitable material, it is preferred that it be made of at least two different strips connected together and that the portion disposed between the overlapping portions of the liner band be a relatively stiff strip. This construction permits one end of a new sweatband to be interlocked with one end of the liner band and then slid around the latter until the entire length of the sweatband is interlocked with the liner band.

The preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a side view of a safety hat equipped with my replaceable sweatband; Fig. 2 is a bottom or inside view of the hat; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section through the interlocking bands and the adjoining side wall of the hat; Fig. 4. is a bottom view of the hat with sweatband removed, but showing one end of a sweatband about to be interlocked with one end of the liner band; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustration a miners safety hat is shown. This has has a strong rigid crown I, the lower edge of which is connected by laces 2 to a head-encircling side wall portion 3. This side wall supports a liner band extending around the inside of the hat with its ends located at the back of the hat.

The band is formed from two strips of material, the wider strip 4 preferably being made of rather soft and flexible fabric, such as felt, and its upper edge is stitched at 5 to the side wall of the hat. The lower edge of this strip generally is about even with, or slightly below, the lower edge of the side wall. The bands narrow strip 6, which extends around the outside of the felt strip, has its lower edge stitched or otherwise fastened to the lower edge of strip i. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the narrow strip extends only part way up the outer surface of the other one and, although very thin, preferably is relatively stiff and smooth. A fiber strip is suitable for this purpose. It should be st'iii enough to keep it from buckling when moderate pressure is applied to it lengthwise. It will be seen that the liner band remains in the hat permanently, and that it serves as a pad between the head and the side of the hat.

The sweatband preferably is formed from three different strips connected together at their edges with their ends brought approximately together at the back of the hat. The inner strip 8, which is the widest, extends around the inside of the liner band and may be made of leather or other sweatband material suitable for direct engagement with the head. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, this strip extends from above the liner band to a point below it, and the lower edge of the strip is folded outward around the lower edge of an --outer strip 9 to which it is stitched. This outer strip can be made of any suitable flexible material, and extends up between the liner band and the side wall of the hat. The upper edge of strip 9 attached to the upper edge of an intermediate strip H which extends down between the two strips forming the liner band. The intermediate strip preferably is made of the same kind of materials as the narrow outer strip '6 of the liner band. It thus will be seen that the two bands are interlocked by overlapping strips ii and II and that the sweatband is supported securely in the hat by the liner band without the use of fasteners or laces.

When it is desired to discard the sweatband, it either can be pulled lengthwise from one end of the liner band at the back of the hat, or it can be removed by pressing the lower edges of the two bands inward and upward in the hat so that the two fiber strips can be unhooked from each other.

To place a new sweatband in the hat, one end of the liner band is pulled inwardly away from the side wall of the hat to expose fiber strip 6, as shown in Fig. 4, and one end of the sweatband is opened up sufiiciently to permit the end of its fiber strip II to be hooked under the adjacent end portion of strip 6, between it and felt strip 4. The liner band then is permitted to return to its normal position, and the portion of the sweatband interlocked with it folds around the liner band. The end of the sweatband in the hat then is pulled along the liner band until the entire sweatband has been drawn into the hat. This interlocks the two bands throughout their length, and the sweatband is properly and securely held in position in the hat by means of the liner band.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a hat having a head-encircling side wall, the combination of a liner band extending around the inner surface of said wall and having a wide portion attached at its upper edge to the wall and also having a narrow portion extending from the lower edge of said wide portion part way up its outer surface, and a removable sweatband having a head-engaging portion extending around the inside of the liner band and also having a looking portion extending from the lower edge of said head-engaging portion up between said wall and liner band and then down between said wide and narrow portions of the liner band to interlock the two bands.

12. In a hat having a head-encircling side wall, the combination of a liner band extending around the inner surface of said wall and having a wide portion attached at its upper edge to the wall and also having a narrow portion extending from the lower edge of said wide portion part way up its outer surface, a head-engaging strip extending around the inside of the liner band, and a looking member attached to the lower edge of said strip and extending up between said wall and liner band and then down between said wide and narrow portions of the band to removably connect said strip to said band.

3. In a hat having a head-encircling side wall, the combination of a liner band extending around the inner surface of said wall and having a wide portion attached at its upper edge to the wall and also having a narrow portion extending from the lower edge of said wide portion part way up its outer surface, a sweatband member having a head-engaging portion extending around the inside of the liner band and also having a narrower portion extending from the lower edge of said head-engaging portion part way up its outer surface, and a strip disposed between said sweatband member portions and having its upper edge secured to the upper edge of said narrower portion, said strip extending down between said wide and narrow portions of the liner band to removably connect said sweatband member to said liner band.

4. In a hat having a head-encircling side wall, the combination of a liner band extending around the inner surface of said wall and having a wide portion attached at its upper edge to the wall and also having a narrow portion extending from the lower edge of said wide portion part way up its outer surface, a head-engaging strip extending around the inside of the liner band, another strip extending around the outside of said head-engaging strip with the lower edges of the two strips connected together, the outer strip extending up between said wall and liner band, and a third strip disposed between said first two strips and having its upper edge secured to the upper edge of said outer strip, said third strip extending down between said wide and narrow portions of the liner band to removably connect said head-engaging strip to said band.

5. In a hat having a head-encircling side wall, the combination of a flexible strip extending around the inner surface of said wall with its upper edge attached to the wall, a relatively rigid strip extending around the outside of said flexible strip with their lower edges secured together, the rigid strip extending only part way up the flexible strip, a flexible sweatband member having a head-engaging portion extending around the inside of said flexible strip and also having a narrower portion extending from the lower edge of said head-engaging portion part way up its outer surface, and a second relatively rigid strip disposed between said sweatband member portions and havin its upper edge secured to the upper edge of said narrower portion, said second strip extending down between said flexible strip and said first-mentioned rigid strip to removably connect said sweatband member to said flexible strip and said first-mentioned rigid strip.

GEORGE C. NELMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 579,394 Iles Mar. 23, 1897 1,164,541 Martin Dec. 14, 1915 2,313,381 King Mar. 9, 1943 

